A Theology of Pleasing God
“When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemiesto be at peace with himâ€
(Proverbs 16:7)
“Now before he [Enoch] was taken he was commended as having pleased Godâ€
(Hebrews 11:5)
Do your ways please God? The Bible is full of instances which depict: land pleasing man; woman pleasing man; man pleasing woman; servants pleasing kings; and, yes, man pleasing God (Gen. 49:15; Neh. 2:7; 1 Cor. 7:33,34; Heb. 11:5). We have noticed that there appears a rather definite theology of pleasing God in the book of Hebrews.
1. 10:6,8,38 – God determines what is pleasing, and what is not.
2. 11:5 – The example of Enoch.
3. 11:6 – The principle of faith as essential to pleasing God.
4. 12:28 – The exhortation to offer acceptable worship as pleasing.
5. 13:16 – The act of praise and doing good pleases God.
6. 13:21 – The clarification that doing his will is God pleasing when done through Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:13 reads: “…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.†Do your ways please the Lord?
– Robert M. Housby